Perhaps not perceived as such at the time, the second half of the ’80s proved Toyah Wilcox to be one of the most prominent personages of art-pop scene, and though the two albums which followed her solo debut, “Minx” from 1985, didn’t demonstrate any chart action, it was 1987’s “Desire” and 1988’s “Prostitute” that confirmed the singer’s status as one of her chosen genre’s primary movers. This is why aficionados must eagerly welcome the fact of those platters getting expanded reissues on June 6th, a few years before their 40th anniversary.
Properly remastered, both records feature Robert Fripp (the former on guitar, together with Ron Wood, and the latter on “vocals”) and boast a second, separately titled CD that makes the deluxe versions finely contextualized. But if “Desire” got augmented with mostly studio tracks – only five of which were included in the album’s previous digital appearance, six weren’t released at all, and four find the lady revisit her part in the “Cabaret” musical – alongside concert cuts spanning 1992 to 2024, “Prostitute” shifts the original name of its second vinyl side to an earlier-unheard live take on the longplay from 1988 when the warbler fronted a band called FRIPP FRIPP who would become SUNDAY ALL OVER THE WORLD closer to 1991 and performed her third full-length offering almost entirely, with dialogue and samples, as their tour’s opening act. Fascinating to say the least.
Desire:
Deluxe Edition
Desire
CD 1 – Desire – Original Album:
1. Echo Beach
2. Moonlight Dancing
3. Revive The World
4. The View
5. Moon Migration
6. Loves Unkind
7. Dear Diary
8. Deadly As A Woman
9. Goodbye Baby
10. When A Woman Cries
11. Desire
CD 2 – Desirable – Bonus Tracks:
1. Echo Beach (Surf mix)
2. Plenty
3. Sun Up
4. Re-Entry Into Dance
5. Mesmerised
6. We Play Machines *
7. Revive The World (live 1992) – KISS OF REALITY & Toyah *
8. Moonlight Dancing (live 1994) *
9. Desire (live 1994) *
10. Echo Beach (live 2024) – Toyah & Robert Fripp *
11. Revive The World (acoustic)
12. Moonlight Dancing (acoustic)
13. Desire (revisited)
14. Echo Beach (acoustic) *
15. Mein Herr
16. Maybe This Time
17. Money, Money – Toyah & Nigel Planer
18. Cabaret
Prostitute:
Deluxe Edition
Prostitute
CD 1 – Lie Down – Original Album:
1. Hello
2. Prostitute
3. Wife
4. The Show
5. Dream House
6. Homecraft
7. Obsession
8. Let The Power Bleed
9. Restless
10. Falling To Earth
11. Jazz Singers In The Tress
12. Vale Of Evesham
13. Ghosts In The Universe
CD 2 – Think Of England – Live In Chichester – November 15th, 1988 *
1. Hello
2. Prostitute
3. Wife
4. The Show
5. Dream House
6. Homecraft
7. Obsession
8. Let The Power Bleed
9. Restless
10. Vale Of Evesham
11. Ghosts In The Universe
* previously unreleased
